Film festival on human rights and freedom set to begin Saturday

Taipei, May 3 (CNA) A film festival featuring 18 short films about the quest for freedom and human rights around the world is set to be held from Saturday until July 28 at the National 228 Memorial Museum in Taipei.

"Exploring Dissenting Voices" showcases drama, animations, experimental films, and short documentaries from Taiwan, Hong Kong, Iran, Algeria, Germany, Indonesia, Poland and Hungary, among others, according to curator Jaye Lin (林婕穎).

The festival is divided into three sections, with the first showcasing Algerian and Iranian documentaries, as well as two Taiwanese films: "Ghost of the Dark Path" (幽暗小徑的鬼) and "Islander" (赤島).

The second section is dedicated to places associated with war and protests, including Hong Kong, which is the subject matter of three of the films featured that seek to highlight the territory's "state of stagnancy," Lin noted.

The third section features eight "mini films" from international directors against censorship under a Goethe-Institut initiative.

These "artistic" films express solidarity with people in all countries where freedom of speech was once infringed upon and serve as reminders of the threat of censorship and the importance of freedom of expression, Lin said.

The event is co-organized by the Memorial Foundation of 228 and the National 228 Memorial Museum, and sponsored by the National Human Rights Museum and Taipei City's Department of Cultural Affairs.